Dealing with Arlong

The next day~

At Nami's home.

Moya slowly opened his eyes. The childish, carefree look he'd had before crossing into this world was gone, along with the worries and ruthlessness that had once made him hesitate over everything.

In their place was a stronger, more resolute heart, calm and unwavering in its determination to press forward.

This was the change brought about by awakening Conqueror's Haki.

He gently slipped away from Nami, got out of bed, and quietly walked out.

"Silent Instant Slide."

Moya appeared atop a cliff. Gazing out at the boundless sea, he gave his body a shake, shattering the bandages and scattering them across the ground.

His increasingly well-built muscles were revealed. After awakening Armament Haki again and awakening Conqueror's Haki for the first time, his physical abilities had undergone another transformation.

He was stronger and tougher.

Although he couldn't yet control either type of Haki completely and could only trigger them in times of danger, that didn't stop them from tempering and improving his body.

A powerful body could produce Haki, and Haki could, in turn, nourish the body and strengthen its weaker parts.

Naked, Moya sat atop the cliff, quietly considering the path ahead.

He knew his body and mind had changed. He also knew he'd awakened Armament Haki again, and possibly even Conqueror's Haki.

But for now, he still couldn't use either skill proficiently.

Armament Haki was manageable, since Hawkeye had taught him how to train it. But he knew nothing at all about Conqueror's Haki.

Moya sat there for over an hour, thinking through many things: his path to strength and the future of the Moya Adventure Group. His thoughts wandered, and he sank into deep contemplation.

He had to obtain the Three Ancient Weapons, Poseidon Shirahoshi, and the Pluton Blueprints!

He didn't have to draw his sword, but he had to have one.

Nuclear weapons had always been the bedrock of Great Celestial Empire's standing on the world stage.

So becoming a Marine was definitely out of the question.

Joining the Revolutionary Army wasn't possible for now, either; he wanted to avoid drawing the World Government's ire. Still, he could try making contact with them.

Moya really didn't want to become a pirate.

But with so many pirates aboard his ship, it was only a matter of time before the Marines discovered them. They would definitely brand him a pirate and put a bounty on his head. That would make the whole Pirate Hunter and adventurer thing moot.

Since the Marines would eventually label his adventure group as pirates anyway, Moya would have to try becoming a Shichibukai to avoid unnecessary losses.

Doflamingo's way of doing things seemed to suit him pretty well, too.

In the end, Moya made a tentative decision about his future.

Nami woke up groggily and realized Moya was gone. She hurried out to look for him, alerting everyone. Within half an hour, she'd sent them all out to find him.

"Moya's still badly injured. Why would he just disappear? It's all my fault for not keeping an eye on him!"

Nami blamed herself, her eyes red.

"It's okay. Captain Moya is so strong. Maybe he went out to train by himself. He might be back soon."

Nojiko gently stroked Nami's hair, trying to comfort her.

"Big Brother Moya wouldn't leave us behind. We have to trust him," Rika said as well.

Kaya and Maddie were worried, too, but they echoed Rika's words.

A shadow flashed past, ignoring the women as it slipped into Nami's house.

"It's Moya!" Nami cried out excitedly and hurried home.

The others ran after her.

When Moya appeared in Nami's room again, he glanced around and felt a little confused. Something seemed off. Had he come to the wrong place?

He didn't see any of his clothes here. Naked, Moya fell into thought.

Just then, Nami ran back, with the others right behind her. The first thing she saw when she entered was Moya, completely naked. Her cheeks flushed.

"You pervert! You lecher!"

The others saw Moya, too. They covered their eyes with both hands, embarrassed, yet couldn't help peeking through their fingers at his perfectly defined physique.

Nami immediately covered Rika's eyes.

"Don't look!"

"Why? I can look!" Rika protested indignantly.

When Moya saw the women, a strange thought suddenly crossed his mind, but he quickly pushed it away.

Still completely composed, Moya found a bedsheet and covered his lower body. He slowly turned around, letting the women see his abs and chest. Their gazes were immediately drawn to him.

Moya draped the sheet around his waist and asked calmly, "What's the matter?"

Nami's face was bright red, but the thought of all the women having seen her man made her jealous.

"Do you have any idea how worried we were when you disappeared like that? You jerk! Exhibitionist! Pervert! Freak!"

As she spoke, Nami started pounding Moya's chest with her little fists.

Seeing that she wanted to hit him but didn't dare use any real force, Moya pulled her into his arms. He buried his face in her hair, breathing in its fragrance and savoring the quiet moment, as well as the softness of her body.

Feeling the change in Moya, Nami's face grew even redder. She jumped away and hurriedly said, "Ugh, shameless! There are so many people watching!"

The women blushed and scattered in a flurry. Only Rika stood there, looking adorably clueless, until Kaya finally dragged her away.

Once the women were gone, Moya couldn't hold back anymore. The door slammed shut with a bang, and before long, the sound of Nami singing came from inside.

Feeling refreshed, Moya stroked Nami as she lay in his arms.

To lie drunk with a beauty on his lap and wake to command the world—that might be every man's ultimate dream.

But in the world of One Piece, both required enough strength to make them possible.

As his power and influence grew, his mindset changed.

When he stood at a certain height, he saw things differently.

Before, Moya had racked his brains just to survive. Now he was already planning what to do after building his own faction.

After putting on the clothes his crewmates had brought, Moya took Nami to the banquet area in the center of the village. The Fishmen were all tied up like dumplings.

More than a hundred members of the Moya Adventure Group had died, and over fifty Fishmen had been killed. Even under such overwhelming numbers, the Fishmen had only suffered twice the casualties. Their average strength was clear.

To Moya's surprise, Arlong was still alive, though he was crippled. His vitality was truly astonishing.

Still, it didn't matter. Whether he lived or died was up to Nami.

"Nami, look over the Fishmen and decide which ones hurt you. You can execute them if you want. Actually, never mind. I'll leave every Fishman's fate entirely up to you."

Moya cast aside his last trace of kindness and spoke to Nami.

Nami gazed at the Fishmen she hated, her eyes reddening. She'd thought she would definitely ask Moya to kill every last one of them.

But now that the moment had come, her kind nature made her reluctant to watch so many Fishmen die right in front of her.

"Moya, I..."

"Ah..."

"If you can't bring yourself to do it, let me handle things. I'll give you an answer you'll be satisfied with," Moya reassured her.

Moya took Arlong and his officer Kuroobi to the ship's cabin and activated the special ability of the Slip-Slip Fruit.

"Memory Slide Technique of Sube Sube no Mi."

With his greatly increased strength, Moya had become more and more adept at using the Slip-Slip Fruit.

No problem. He would deal with the injured, weakened Arlong first. Moya slid Arlong's memories out.

He'd unexpectedly found something useful. Perhaps he could try it—now he knew how to deal with these Fishmen for greater gain.

With a better option available, Moya left Kuroobi alone for the time being. He'd originally wanted to learn Fishman Jujutsu and Fishman Karate from him.

Hatchan, in particular, had been spared. After all, he knew Rayleigh, and Nami knew he was kindhearted.

"Kneel before Nami and apologize. Kneel before everyone you've hurt and apologize!" Moya ordered loudly.

The dazed Arlong and terrified Fishmen did as they were told, kneeling before Nami and the villagers behind her. Nami couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears.

"Bell-mère..."

Moya escorted four Fishmen with Nami and the others to Bell-mère's grave. The moment Arlong and his men knelt, Nami and Nojiko burst into tears again.

Moya described how Bell-mère had appeared with a smile, saying he could almost see her spirit. He told Nami, Nojiko, and Genzo.

In their imaginations, Bell-mère silently appeared before them, smiling as she looked at them and waved.

Nami threw herself into Moya's arms and sobbed. Nojiko wiped her tears with her arm and cried, too.

Genzo reached out as if he could hold on to Bell-mère, but in the end, he could only grit his teeth as tears slowly streamed down his face.